Dollar Shave Club Review

An online subscription service devoted to the avid shaver, Dollar Shave Club helps take the guesswork out of when to replace your razor by automatically shipping you a new one, along with a set of blade cartridges every month, while offering superior personal care products to up your grooming game.

What Is Dollar Shave Club?

Starting out as a beta site in 2011, founder Michael Dubin created the Dollar Shave Club to solve man’s most common grooming problem – finding quality razors are affordable pricing. His bootstrapping efforts paid off as the company shipped its first razors and cartridge replacements a year later in March of 2012. Fast-forward to the present, DSC’s strong lineup and guerilla YouTube marketing campaigns have helped set the foundation for today’s online grooming subscription craze, catching the eye of consumer goods staple, Unilever, which recently acquired the business for $1 billion.

Dollar Shave Club accommodates shavers from all walks of life looking to expand their grooming routine without compromising their finances or personal time. The service is automated monthly to ship consumers their razor plan of choice, along with other personal grooming items. All orders are shipped from Marina Del Rey, California, across the entire US and select foreign countries.

Dollar Shave Club has over three million members.

The company hosts a wide collection of grooming items ranging from hairstyling to skincare to travel-friendly products.

Cancel an account anytime for any reason.

All products are covered under its 100% Satisfaction Guarantee policy.

Ships to the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and military locations via APO/FPO/DPO address at no extra cost.

Unboxing Dollar Shave Club

Any package small enough to fit in my mailbox is a win, especially living in an apartment complex where prying eyes are everywhere. So I felt safe knowing my razors were locked and stowed away till I returned from the office. Opening the Dollar Shave Club box required little effort. I was met with a 6 oz. of Dr. Carver’s Shave Butter (with info card), also two razors (The Executive and 4X) and two cases of blades. Everything was tightly packaged in with no slippage present.

But I’ll be complete honestly – I’m not the greatest fan of cardboard packaging – not when we’re talking small-scale grooming items like these. I’ve heard in some cases DSC does ship packages in envelopes, so I’d be all for that regarding future shipments. The compact size does make it easily recyclable for the environmentally conscious, if that counts for anything.

The Review

Living an active lifestyle, Dollar Shave Club shaves time off my to-do list by automatically doing my razor shopping for me every 30 days. Then again, I’m a guy that knows what style of blade works best for my facial hair and skin. Most men don’t. And this is what makes DSC even more rewarding thanks impart to its trio of razor options. The fact you can switch between plans every month provides enough leverage to experiment and seek out the best solution.

Let’s start with the upper echelon of the batch, The Executive, which performs well enough as an everyday razor best suitable for stubble. Its six-blade cartridge system is thinly spaced for tackling shorter hairs – warranting a closer shave than the other models – not by much though. We found some of the market’s other top performers to leave smoother results. Though we can say the Executive’s handle is built like a tank, manufactured from heavy-weight aluminum with rubberized grip that adds a bit of girth to the razor for controlled shaves. Just don’t use it on thicker hairs for you’ll spend minutes attempting to rinse the blades off.

After a few days, we took the 4X for a test drive and discovered its own benefits and flaws. For starters, the handle bears a lighter, yet flimsy construction with a nicely rubberized texture that allows for a more comforting shave. We noticed the 4-blade system sliced through stubble just as effectively as the Executive, only doing a better job with blade rinsability and cutting coarser strands. Whether this was due to blade engineering or the Shave Butter remains up for debate.

Would have been cool to see how the Humble Twin compared to its elder siblings. Unfortunately, it was absent from our package. Online reviews have praised it heavily as a $1 razor. That’s basically all as we can share right now. However, we found some intriguing differences in performance between the two models we received. The lubrication strip on the Executive dried out faster than on the 4X. Still, neither compete with the moisturized presence of Harry’s blade system. Even testing the razors with other skincare products, we noticed how blades dulled faster. On the other hand, we found the cartridge release mechanism to be way less frustrating on DSC’s razors. Call it a trade-off.

Nonetheless, the unsung hero of DSC’s grooming collection is its Shave Butter. Exactly what is it? Let’s just say it’s more of a shaving ointment than a cream or gel – one that not only boasts nourishing properties to protect the face, but enhance razor glide for a smooth shave. It certainly allowed both razors to navigate across my mug without any tugging. Only thing is you’ll need a good amount applied on the face depending on hair length. The more hair, the bigger the spread. In fact, I used the Shave Butter’s on a duller blade to test its effectiveness and sleekness. Despite a minor nick or two, it moistened the older blade well enough to execute one serviceable shave before ditching that sucker.

DSC’s customer service is just as impressive. The company makes no quarrels about feeding consumers all the information they’ll need to execute basic tasks like add items to the cart or cancel/switch subscriptions. Having a DSC expert on-demand via mobile app is another dope feature as well. Not to mention its Original Content section serves up so insight grooming tips.

Are DSC’s razors and blade replacements worth the subscription? Their cost-friendly price tags certainly make a strong case for it. Though, personally, I found the service as a whole to be where the true value lies. Whether you’re a shaver focused solely on a fur-free face or looking to enhance your overall appearance, DSC delivers enough variety to broaden your personal style. But it’s on the subscriber to break free from their shaving comfort zone and embrace the service’s other amazing products that compliments its reliable razors.

Cost

DSC operates a tad differently than its competitors. It requires a monthly commitment to one of three razor bundles – The Executive ($9), The 4X ($6), and The Humble Twin ($1) – each packaged with a select number of cartridges. Free shipping is applied to the top two, with a $2 charge assigned to the latter. Unfortunately, the bundles only consist of razor handle and blades, so all other products such as shaving agents come at additional cost. Though if added to your cart with an Executive or 4X razor, these items are granted free shipping. Add-ons are always subjective to the subscriber, but DSC offers its own trial box with razor and Shave Butter for a killer value at $5, just to get you familiarized with its offerings. The company is said to reveal other promotions in the coming weeks, too.

How To Subscribe

At DSC, to subscribe is to join. Click on the link to see what we mean. Subscribe by entering an email address and creating a password. Your other option is logging in with Facebook or Google. Once officially signed-up, start out by selecting from one of three blade plans. Once chosen, proceed to choose an add-on (we recommend Charlies One Wipe Charlies) or skip the flash page and finish the sign-up process. Shipping address. Payment method. Optional travel add-ons. Fill in those blanks and complete the order.

Managing Your Subscription

DSC’s site is the epitome of user-friendly and makes subscription management as simple as a one-button command. Pick the Account tab at the top of the home page and gain access to all personal information. A companion app is afforded to subscribers (and hopeful signees) via iTunes or Google Play that lets them change delivery frequency, shop for razors, track orders, gift friends, and enjoy original content. The app is more visually appealing and provides simpler navigation than the site. See for yourself.

You can also:

Add your mobile number to get instant customer service from a DSC pro, who’ll respond directly to your phone after sending an SMS to 42222

Recommend DSC to friends through email or Facebook to potentially earn in-store credit

Track packages by reading your confirmation email or hitting the Box icon in the upper right hand corner > History > Track

Is It Worth It? THE VERDICT: Potentially

Potential Investment. If shaving is a prerequisite for your daily grooming routine, then Dollar Shave Club is a major investment that pays for itself in the long run. You can’t beat a budget razor for $1 (and 5 cartridges) capable of outperforming any 99-cent store poser. Plus if you’re someone seeking assurance from his shaving tool, the $9-a-month Executive is a just as good a deal. Granted you won’t receive the closest shave from its blades, nor will the razors add to your bathroom feng shui, these aren’t deal-breakers.

Dollar Shave Club looks to sell you more on its subscription experience than razor options. No one has yet to match its ecosystem of grooming products or innate customer service, which extends past FAQs and an effortless cancellation policy. And with the recent Unilever buyout, DSC’s bound to see improvements on the blade-engineering end. For now, it offers enough to get your money’s worth – be it shaving, hairstyling or simple EDC grooming essentials.

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